EXPLORING SECTORAL REACH IN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Abstract There is increasing interest in better understanding the sectoral reach of age-friendly community practice. Action across a wide variety of actors is central to achieving age-friendly societal change according to the World Health Organization and an explicit goal for governmental participation in its Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the scope of sectoral reach by age-friendly communities. We used qualitative inquiry to assess sectoral efforts reported by American age-friendly communities that completed a five-year cycle of participation (n=40). We employed directed content analysis using a priori indicators by sectoral actors: public (i.e., government), private (i.e., business), and civil society including nonprofit organizations and volunteers. We classify sectoral actions by type (i.e., intersectoral, multisectoral) and by clustered domain community foci (i.e., built, social, service). Our study identifies the extent and types of sectoral actors and actions reported by age-friendly communities with the greatest efforts reported in the public sector, and while similarly distributed across all the domains, slightly more efforts were noted in the built environment. We also found greater intersectoral efforts (i.e., explicitly working towards shared goals) than multisectoral (i.e., not necessarily in collaboration on shared goals), particularly across government. While our study substantiates the breadth of actions towards age-friendly change, additional research is needed to examine the ways in which the public and other sectoral actions are further linked to outcomes in communities in the United States and in other countries.

however, little is known about daily variation in social connection, contextual factors that impact social connection, and its association with caregiver mental health experiences.Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between role captivity and daily social isolation (i.e., lack of social connection) among dementia caregivers, as well as associations between social isolation and depression and anxietyrelated symptoms.A sample of community-dwelling ADRD caregivers (N=30) completed a baseline survey followed by 14 days of daily diaries (n=323 data points).Participants were asked about role captivity, social isolation, and daily depression and anxiety-related symptoms.Data were analyzed using mixed-level modeling.Role captivity reported at baseline was significantly associated with daily social isolation (B=0.82,95% CI [0.68, 0.96], p <0.001).Further, daily social isolation was significantly associated with both depression (B=0.69,95% CI [0.61, 0.77], p <0.001) and anxiety (B=0.55,95% CI [0.48, 0.62], p <0.001) related symptoms reported on a given day.The findings from this study contribute knowledge on ecologically valid interventions that target daily experiences of social isolation and support the mental health of dementia caregivers.Such interventions are critically important given the proposed links between mental health, social isolation, and cognitive health in later life.There is increasing interest in better understanding the sectoral reach of age-friendly community practice.Action across a wide variety of actors is central to achieving age-friendly societal change according to the World Health Organization and an explicit goal for governmental participation in its Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.However, there is limited knowledge regarding the scope of sectoral reach by age-friendly communities.We used qualitative inquiry to assess sectoral efforts reported by American age-friendly communities that completed a five-year cycle of participation (n=40).We employed directed content analysis using a priori indicators by sectoral actors: public (i.e., government), private (i.e., business), and civil society including nonprofit organizations and volunteers.We classify sectoral actions by type (i.e., intersectoral, multisectoral) and by clustered domain community foci (i.e., built, social, service).Our study identifies the extent and types of sectoral actors and actions reported by age-friendly communities with the greatest efforts reported in the public sector, and while similarly distributed across all the domains, slightly more efforts were noted in the built environment.We also found greater intersectoral efforts (i.e., explicitly working towards shared goals) than multisectoral (i.e., not necessarily in collaboration on shared goals), particularly across government.While our study substantiates the breadth of actions towards age-friendly change, additional research is needed to examine the ways in which the public and other sectoral actions are further linked to outcomes in communities in the United States and in other countries.

SESSION 4150 (SYMPOSIUM)
Abstract citation ID: igad104.1508The global age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) movement has long centered the involvement of the public sector, calling on high-ranking authorities to commit to improving the built, social, and service environments of their localities.However, there is little understanding of how the public sector is involved in actual practice.To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published since 2010, with a focus on studies in Canada and the United States, to synthesize the evidence on the ways in which the public sector has been involved with AFCC work.Our review identified four primary themes.The first theme describes the variety across studies in descriptions of the overall positioning of the public sector in AFCC efforts, with public sector actors ranging from leaders to partners to targets for advocacy.The second theme addresses activities that are initiated by a public administration that targets age-friendly improvements for that administration.The third theme encompasses activities that help to connect a public administration with, as well as influence, outside actors, primarily the private sector and government administrations at other systems levels.The final theme elucidates the various ways in which the public sector is involved with AFCC assessment, evaluation, and research.We discuss the implications of our findings for practice, policy, and continued empirical research.We also discuss theoretical implications for AFCC efforts in terms of distinguishing "whole of government" from "whole of society," grassroots, and planningspecific approaches.While the age-friendly community movement has seen tremendous progress in the past decade, with over 700 U.S. member communities in the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (NAFSC), many more U.S. communities

PUBLIC SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN AGE-FRIENDLY CITIES AND COMMUNITIES: A SCOPING REVIEW
have not yet joined the network.Joining NAFSC can spur activity to improve local conditions for older residents, as well as allow communities access to informational resources and contacts from peer communities that have undertaken similar initiatives.A better understanding of the barriers preventing communities from joining NAFSC, the hesitancy about joining, and the age-friendly work being done outside of NAFSC is critical to extending age-friendly work nationally.The present study explored factors that inhibit communities from joining NAFSC.We conducted 12 semi-structured virtual interviews with community leaders in Maine and Massachusetts whose communities are not NAFSC members but are actively working on aging-related issues.Participants were recruited through the researchers' professional networks.We intentionally cultivated diversity of community size during recruitment.Transcripts and interview notes were coded thematically.Resulting themes included a lack of knowledge/misconceptions about what joining NAFSC requires, a perception that there are few benefits to joining, political concerns, insufficient personnel capacity, other financial priorities (e.g., children's programming, COVID relief), and a desire to retain local control over aging-related initiatives.Recommendations include clearer communication of NAFSC membership requirements and benefits, additional technical assistance to communities, and loosening of reporting requirements for small communities.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.1510Critical Crossroads provides older adults a space to discuss what concerns them at both national and local community levels, share their personal impact stories and experiences, and learn how these issues connect to social determinants of health.One important feature of this program has been attention to concerns of housing and its impact on older adults.This presentation will highlight two Critical Crossroads housing related segments (e.g., CDC moratorium on eviction, applying for FEMA aid for flooding).This presentation will share the This presentation will share the development of this community-led initiative, program goals, and lessons learned.More than five years after the City of Boston started its journey towards becoming an Age and Dementia Friendly community, the initiative and its collaborators have been working to ensure that the initiative and its many contributions are equally realized by all Bostonians.Drawing on the concept of aging equity--that all older adults, despite their life course histories, have equitable access to programs and services that help them age well.To achieve this means removing obstacles to accessing community features that support healthy aging, establishing social and civic engagement opportunities, ensuring safe environments, establishing access to healthcare, and disseminating knowledge of available supports and services.This presentation will describe the research and community engagement that led to the development of an aging equity conceptual framework and examples of how it is being operationalized in the City of Boston.For example, we will share the ways in which outreach and communication strategies have been altered to more equitable practices including efforts to build trust, engage in cultural translation of programs and services, and consider new channels of information sharing.

EAST MEETS WEST: INTERVENTIONS, PRACTICE MODELS, AND POLICIES TO SUPPORT FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN DIVERSE CULTURES
Chair: Fei Sun Co-Chair: Juanjuan Sun Discussant: Jiehua Lu Discussant: Tracie Harrison This East Meets West symposium consists of six studies that examined innovative interventions, practice models and policies designed to support family caregivers of older adults in the U.S., Taiwan, and mainland China.The first two papers both used case management interventions to assist family caregivers with a focus on caregiver depression.The paper from the U.S. found that more difficulties of performing caregiving tasks and less caregiver preparation contributed to higher levels of depression, and the paper from Taiwan found that caregivers who received the case management service reduced depression at four-month and six-month follow-up assessments.The third paper discussed a "time travel" paradigm developed to guide service design and delivery for persons with dementia at different stages.The fourth paper used Abstract citation ID: igad104.1511ADVANCING AGING EQUITY AMONG OLDER BOSTONIANS Adriana Hernandez, and Caitlin Coyle, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Tam Perry 1 , Vanessa Rorai 2 , Sarah Whitney 2 , Wilma Stringer 2 , Henry Swift 2 , James Bridgforth 2 , and Patricia Mullin 2 , 1. Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, United States, 2. Healthier Black Elders Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States Launched by older Black adults from the Healthier Black Elders Center (HBEC) of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, Critical Crossroads was created to engage older Detroiters in community conversations, advocacy, and strategies around issues of social injustice.